I just finished watching the post-game show for ESPN's Monday Night Football. Stuart Scott, Emmitt Smith and Steve Young did the obligatory chatter on how the Steelers pummeled the Redskins, 23-6. Then, with the end of the NFL week 9, the trio started reflecting more broadly on the first half of the season.
They agreed that back at week 1, most people would have said the two teams with the most talent were the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys. But despite the high hopes brought on by all that preseason potential, Stu, Emmitt and Steve noted how the Chargers and Cowboys have turned out to be the two teams with the most unexpectedly disappointing performance. Evidently, athletic ability does not always a good team make.
That ESPN analysis reminded me of a quote by Robert Murray M'Cheyne:
It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.
A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.
A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.
This language of being an "awful weapon" was undoubtedly enhanced by my Sunday night watching of Iron Man. (Yeah, I can fly.)
M'Cheyne is one of my heroes. This 19th-century Scottish pastor has much to teach 21st-century ministry leaders, myself included. In an age where pastors face unrelenting internal and external expectations to be successful and efficient, M'Cheyne's words recalibrate our definitions of those goals. He focuses us on our calling to be like Christ and leaves ministry productivity to God.
We need words like this to free us from our captivity to the business-minded consumerism that has made the Evangelical church little more than corporate America's non-profit cousin.
M'Cheyne words are not only powerful and convicting. They are exciting! It's inspiring to imagine that I could be a powerful, awful weapon in the hand of God against the forces of darkness. By His grace, I can pursue holiness, being shaped into the image of Christ to wage war on the sin, rebellion and brokenness that distracts us all from the glory of God and the joy He intends for His children to experience.
So that's my prayer right now — focusing on Jesus and yearning to become like Him, not worrying about the abilities I do or don't have, but striving to be conformed to the image of the Son.
Lord, may I ever be close to You,
and may the fruit of my life be the result of our communion.
and may the fruit of my life be the result of our communion.
3 comments:
yes! thank you for this. I want to be an awful weapon so bad!
In agreement with you! Most of the time I will take just being a weapon that God can use. Thanks again to an old dead guy for an encouraging kick in the pants...
I have found you on the blogosphere. You can run but you can't hide.
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